Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 23.—“Was
the assassination of President McKinley the will of God?”
This was the subject of a sensational
sermon last night by Rev. C. C. Cline, pastor of the Johnson Avenue
Christian church, one of the leading congregations of the city.
He said the death was the will of
God, as had been the displacement of four Kings and Rulers in Bible
times, and the assassination of Lincoln and Garfield.
He declared God was jealous for the
poor and oppressed and that President McKinley was a commercial
president, harboring corporations to the detriment of the masses.
“McKinley was weighed by God and found
wanting.” “He was abnormally a financial President. He was the best
servant the corporations ever had in the White House.
“I see in Roosevelt a solution of
the labor problem. There is no use in hanging anarchists. Go to
the hot bed of anarchy—plutocracy.
“Give the masses legislation and not
the few who work the masses. The first blessing is Roosevelt’s friendship
for the masses and the second, the removal of anarchy.”
Rev. Dr. Cline declared the President
was controlled by the corporate influences and spoke of his alleged
friendship for catholic force.
“We have an untrameled [sic]
President now, except for one promise that he will carry out McKinley’s
plans and I regret it.”